Why Comparing Yourself to Others Hurts Your Creative Growth
Your Creative Path is Yours Alone
Hello everyone! 😁
Do you ever find yourself comparing your beginning to someone else's middle? You're not alone. Many of us fall into this trap, but it's important to recognize that this can be harmful to your personal growth.
Social media offers endless inspiration. You can explore the works of your favorite artists, photographers, and creatives. However, it’s also a double-edged sword, often leading to a cycle of negative self-comparison.
You might find yourself asking: “Why am I not that good yet?”
The truth is, many of the people we admire have been honing their skills for years, often much longer than we have. Naturally, they are further along in their journey. It’s easy to forget this, especially when you’re scrolling through a highlight reel of accomplishments. This is one of the reasons social media can be toxic, it encourages unhealthy comparisons.
But why do we keep comparing ourselves to those who are more experienced? It’s a difficult question, but here’s one way to think about it. Imagine looking up to Usain Bolt, the legendary sprinter. You wouldn’t expect to match his speed without years of dedicated training, right? Even with years of hard work, you may never reach his level because he’s exceptional. The same concept applies to any field, whether it’s art, music, or photography.
Bolt and other elite athletes train for years to achieve greatness. The same is true for artists and creatives. The key difference is that while sports have limits, eventually, your body can only go so far, creativity doesn’t have an endpoint. As an artist, you never stop learning or evolving. There's always something new to discover.
What I want to emphasize is that you should never compare your journey to someone who has been doing it longer. In fact, you shouldn’t compare yourself to anyone at all. We all have different paths, strengths, and timelines.
I get it, it’s tough. I struggle with it too. Every day, I catch myself wondering, “What does that person have that I don’t?”
If constant comparisons are making your journey difficult, consider taking a break from looking at other people’s work. Focus on your own growth for a while. Sit down and create just for you. You don’t have to share everything you make with the world, sometimes, creating for yourself is enough.
When I share my work, even the pieces I’m not proud of, I do it because I want you to see me as human. I don’t create perfect art every time. And I don’t want you to compare your journey to mine. I share my experiences to inspire you to find something you love and stick with it.
Remember, this is your journey, embrace it.
🍂 Art Journey
A few weeks ago, I was thrilled to see that Maxon released ZBrush for the iPad. Finally, right? I immediately jumped into the free version, excited to explore what it could do. But, to be honest, I had no clue what I was doing. Since the app was so new, finding tutorials felt impossible, leaving me to fumble through the interface like I was learning a new language without a dictionary.
After some frustration, I decided to pivot and try Nomad Sculpt instead and I’m so glad I did. Here’s why:
1. I discovered a fantastic YouTube channel filled with detailed tutorials called Dave Reed, which made the learning process a whole lot smoother.
2. Nomad Sculpt only cost me 249 SEK as a one-time purchase, compared to ZBrush’s 120 SEK/month or a hefty 1,195 SEK/year.
Sure, the iPad version of ZBrush is cheaper than the desktop version, which runs over 4,000 SEK (no thanks!). But learning this new medium was already challenging, so I didn’t want to invest that much right away.
I’ve never done 3D sculpting before, so the process has been slow. But will this make me give up on my 2D artwork? Absolutely not! My love for painting isn’t going anywhere.
I’m just experimenting with 3D as a fun side project, think cute little chibi characters or small sculptures. But everything else? That’s staying in the realm of traditional 2D art.
As for my first attempt at sculpting? Well, let’s just say the result, a rabbit (or at least I think it’s a rabbit), didn’t exactly go as planned. The colors were off, and I realized I hadn’t set everything up correctly. But hey, mistakes are part of the journey, right? You learn more from them than from getting things perfect on the first try!
🍂 What to read next?
Thank you so much for your generosity and support!
I just watched a documentary called The Rescue a few nights ago. It's about the rescue of those 15 Thai boys who were stuck in a cave for 2 weeks. The only men who were able to rescue them were the best cave-divers in the world.
Those men were always seen as outcasts and weird by the rest of the world, but their unique skill set saved the lives of these children.
You can't compare your journey to anyone else's. Your unique skill set might one day save others lives.